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Boardman, Ohio – In the fourth quarter of last week’s loss in Minnesota, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith had several firsts: his first interception in 250 pass attempts, his first fumble in 13 regular-season games and, finally, his first deep pass to a wide receiver in 2012.

Smith’s 22-yard completion to Mario Manningham on San Francisco’s final drive was notable for its length. It was the first time he’d targeted a wide receiver with a pass that traveled more than 20 yards in the season’s first three games, according to Pro Football Focus.

Of Smith’s 92 pass attempts, four have traveled 20 yards or more downfield (tight end Vernon Davis was targeted with the other three deep balls). Of the NFL’s 32 quarterbacks who have thrown at least 30 passes, only Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick has attempted fewer of at least 20 yards than Smith.

So what happened to using the speed of new additions Manningham and Randy Moss to test defenses deep? Moss’ pedestrian 11.0-yards-per-catch average leads the 49ers’ wideouts.

Manningham said the chemistry will come between Smith and some of his new receivers.

“We’re still trying to get on the same page,” said Manningham, whose 9.4-yards-per-catch average is well below his career mark (14.1). “We’re not fully on the same page like we want to be – me and him, or him and the other wideouts. But I feel like we’re getting there.”

When it was suggested that better chemistry could lead to deeper passes, Manningham didn’t necessarily agree.

“I don’t call the plays,” he said. “I don’t know.”

It should be noted that Smith’s reliance on short and intermediate routes this season has been largely effective. He ranks seventh in the NFL in passer rating (102.7) and has completed 77.4 percent of his passes (41-for-53) when targeting his wideouts.

He’s embraced a take-what-the-defense-offers approach under Jim Harbaugh and has avoided taking risky chances downfield, which helps explain his franchise-record streak of 249 passes without an interception.

Jets coach Rex Ryan, whose team will host the 49ers on Sunday, said Smith is about more than mistake-free play.

“He’s much more than that,” Ryan said. “He’s much more talented than the national perspective (gives him) credit for. He can make all the throws, and he’s accurate and obviously he’s got mobility in the pocket as well. I look at him – I was hoping he wasn’t as good as he is.”

Still, even Smith acknowledges he could better utilize the 49ers’ offensive speed.

In last week’s loss to Minnesota, only three of his 24 completions gained more than 13 yards. Smith noted he missed two potential big gains to Moss in the first half Sunday, throwing both passes high. On his second misfire, Moss was open for what would have been an 18-yard touchdown reception.

“I really feel like we hit those two we’re not necessarily talking about this, especially with” Moss, Smith said when asked about the lack of deep passes. “But looking back on Sunday, could we have taken more shots? For sure, but hindsight it’s so easy to say. When you’re in the heat of the game there, you’re just trying to get a score. You’re trying to move the chains and get a score and do whatever it takes.”

Taking their shots

Of the 32 NFL quarterbacks who have at least 30 passing attempts this season, only Ryan Fitzpatrick has attempted fewer of at least 20 yards than Alex Smith: